On Wednesday, April 24, Kent girls varsity lacrosse took on Hotchkiss in a hard-fought game that ended in a 19-6 defeat.

Going into the game, the team knew it was going to be a difficult one. When asked about the biggest struggle of the game, Coach Duncan replies, “Hotchkiss has a lot of depth and a lot of talent.” Their girls were able to take “very well placed shots,” Mrs. Duncan explains, “so our goalie [Mina Exnerova ’21] was in a difficult place.”  

Despite the team’s struggles in the first half, they continued to play with determination and grit, allowing them to put away six goals in the second half.

Similarly, coach Duncan expressed that their biggest success was the team’s “second-half rally on offense.”

To start off the offensive charge in the second half, Margaret Peterson ’20 scored a big goal, followed by another goal by defenseman and co-captain Maddie Blakeslee ’19. Along with Peterson and Blakeslee, Hannah Kent ’21, who scored one goal in the first half, scored twice in the second half, bringing her individual goal tally up to 3.  

Coach Duncan reflected on the game, saying, “I am proud that four different kids scored against Hotchkiss. Going forward, I’d like to see at least six score — spreading out the people who are a threat is important.” She hopes for their next game against Pomfret, that the team “comes out fired up in the first half.”  

For the rest of the season Coach Duncan hopes “to continue to improve each game and that the girls develop a better sense of lacrosse IQ.” She also hopes that the girls will continue to get stronger through their team lifts, and additionally, Coach Duncan has the girls do “a lot of pushups during practice [to] build their core strength.”  

Overall, the team is a tight-knit group of determined and hardworking girls. Coach Duncan says, “I want them to bond as a team and see their hard work result in some wins.”